


On Your Reydar

by orphan_account



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Lighthearted, Shenanigans, Slow Burn, more tags/warnings added as it progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-13
Updated: 2017-06-13
Packaged: 2018-11-13 15:32:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11188068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Rey is sent undercover on a reconnaissance mission to the Finalizer to infiltrate their new base on Crait, and sabotage General Hux's flagship in the process, if possible.Kylo Ren has been totally MIA since Starkiller's demolition so he's not expected to show any time soon. But just when everything seems to be going according to plan, a spanner gets thrown in the works. That spanner being—you guessed it—Kylo Ren himself. ...or is it?





	On Your Reydar

**Author's Note:**

> this is pretty much just a fun side thing. I really love these two as a couple but I want to explore a largely unrealistic take on their relationship here, as Kira the Mechanic and Matt the Radar Technician. so just expect fluffy shit and SciFi machine break downs, very lighthearted and full of ridiculous escapades and horseplay. Enjoy! <3

 

  
It was outrageous. Everyone knew it to be true—even Leia had unease squirming all over her face. But the spies were yielding nothing, and all reputable sources of First Order activity  in utter radio silence.

"You don't have to do this, you know that, right?" Black Leader— _Poe Dameron_ —had insisted. He and Rey weren't that well acquainted, but their shared affection for Finn and BB8 had drawn them together immediately.

She'd given him a lopsided grin, eyes brimming with playfulness and confidence. "I'll be fine. You forget, I was a scavenger on Jakku for the better part of fourteen years." Her brows twitched as if reminiscing old victories and she leant forward, cheeks dimpling when her grin evened out. "I think I can handle one battlecruiser."

Poe had hummed with unspoken qualms but the sound was still respectful. It wasn't that he doubted her, it was just such a gamble to put their poster child—not to mention, his friend—in such unnecessary danger.

Rey seemed to sense this and took no offence. "Stop worrying," she kept her voice soft and face kindly, "the only person who would really recognise me won't be there anyway."

"You don't know that." He'd pressed, brown eyes wide and severe. "If you're captured—"

" _If_ I'm captured, I'll figure my way out of it. Luke made sure to triple brief me with tips and tricks to get me out of hairy situations, and I'm no stranger to climbing around inside giant ships." She countered, "I can easily stow away some place until I can find a shuttle or escape pod."

Poe had then hung his head in defeat, seeing this was a losing battle. "Alright, alright. Just be careful." He cast a long glance beyond her and toward the passage leading connecting with the medbay. "I've seen too many friends come home on a stretcher, if even that."

She sighed through the pain lancing from him and grabbed a fist full of his orange pilot suit to pull him into a tight hug. At first he just stood there stiff as a board, but his arms found their way around her shoulders soon enough and he nestled his face into the crook of her neck.

"May the force be with you." He barely whispered and Rey felt her throat constrict.

"Keep an eye on Finn for me." She pleaded and his chin dipped into her shoulder as he nodded. "And stay out of trouble."

His chest rumbled against hers when he chuckled, "No promises... but I'll try my best." and she laughed back. The mission would stretch only a handful of weeks but she was really going to miss Poe.

 

"Kira!" The grating voice of Plet Su, head of the maintenance and repair station, made her jump. "Are you even listening?"

The _Finalizer's_ imposing grey walls seemed to loom over her expectantly, but not moreso than the bitter man addressing her. His poisonous stare almost made her shudder but she had the discretion to stifle it.

"Ah... I'm sorry, sir." She dipped her head and blinked up at him as dolefully as possible. Despite all his coldness, he was always willing to forgive Rey— _Kira_ —because of her tractability and nonpareil skill in her field. She played the part of hard working mechanic seamlessly, and she need only give him those wide impressionable eyes to get off of his bad side.

The favouritism annoyed her coworkers, but _Kira the Mechanic_ was one of the most unproblematic personnel on this blasted ship, so she had no real enemies. She also sported a squadron's worth of allies and friends willing to vouch for her, should any make themselves known.

Plet pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Whenever he did this, she knew she had him. It was hard not to smile at her small triumph but she knew better.

"Kira," his face was tense but still subdued and he dragged her name out begrudgingly, as though he resented having to reprimand her. "You need to pay more attention."

She sobered herself and nodded with as convincing honesty as she could muster. Plet shook his head and waved his hand.

"Report to the supply desk, I have a new assignment for you." He told her, "I'm transferring you down to Crait."

She tried to look surprised, honoured even, but of course, this was all part of the plan they had discussed on D'Qar. Nonetheless, a modest smile sundered her face and she gave a dramatic bow of gratitude, to which Plet waved his hands again but the ghosted grin on his own face was hard to miss. For her, anyway.

"Yeah, yeah. Go on, get out of here." He grumbled but it was all in good nature. Sometimes Rey found herself wishing she could siphon this oddly endearing man out of this force-forsaken place and take him somewhere he'd be truly appreciated—the Resistance. But by the spit that flew from his tight lips when he spoke of rebels, she figured he would rather die. It was a shame.

The walk back to her station was not a very long one. She spent most of it mentally cataloging what signs she needed to look for on-world, only half acknowledging the waves and greetings from unsuspecting friends that she passed, and nibbled her lip anxiously.

When she strode up to the maintenance depot, a woman with small glasses and cropped brown hair was sat at the supply desk, looking down her nose at a datapad, seemingly displeased with what she saw.

Rey took a moment to eschew any hints of treachery from both mind and face before she approached and cleared her throat politely. The woman savoured a moment with the device held between sickly fingers and then quirked a condescending brow at her.

"Plet sent me," she told the woman after the ensuing untoward silence. "Apparently I'm being transferred and need to report in?"

"Yes," there was a breath of satisfaction in her voice that was not lost to Rey. It made her narrow her eyes, yet only slightly. There was another unnecessary wait, and then the desk worker leant beneath the counter to retrieve a neatly folded bundle of pale grey clothing, a thick utility belt poking out the side crease. She placed it in front of Rey and unceremoniously slapped a fresh datapad on top. "These are your new belongings. Please return your current suit, tools, and device back here when you are done changing."

"Thank you." She muttered as respectfully as she could manage, then quickly left the station with her package held tight beneath her arm. It annoyed her, the illusion of ownership on this vessel for anyone of low rank. ' _These are your new belongings.'_ She echoed bitterly with a falsetto voice, _'...For now. Because you don't deserve any permanence or familiarity here.'_

Her irritation was only mild, though; the First Order weren't her friends, regardless of how they treated her as Kira, and she shouldn't feel sympathy for their plight. Still, the nagging idea that there may be more like Finn in this hell hole made sure the injustice irked her, if only faintly and well in the back of her mind.

She rounded a corner on her way to the barracks wing when suddenly she stopped dead in her tracks. Down the hall, walking through an intersecting passage, was a swath of black robes erected in the shape of a man. Rey's eyes stretched wide and she gaped in shock as none other than _Kylo Ren_ sauntered on casually by.

 _'What is he doing here?!'_ She shrieked inwardly and crisp fear turned to ice cold dread when he halted, stiff and half way through his stride, head twitching. The force must have sent her a guardian angel, for it felt as though someone jammed the memory of Luke teaching her signature masking into her brain. She saw the silver grill and black muzzle hidden beneath a dark hood turn slightly in her direction and immediately threw herself back around the corner and nestled into a cleft in the wall.

Sweat gathered heavy on her brow and she closed her eyes. Soothing long breaths dragged in through her nose and out past bare teeth as she struggled to compose herself and keep a hold on her force signature, working to dampen it beyond recognition. When she dared to blink her eyes open again, he was stood _right there_ on the path she had tread only moments before. Her throat felt tight and she begged the maker that he wouldn't turn and notice her. She had no doubt he would remember her; the girl who had left him scarred and bleeding out on an imploding planet. She could almost taste his anger, sharp and biting like too many spices.

His hands clenched into fists and his helmet slowly made rounds of the room. He had felt her, she was certain. He was _looking_ for her. It was difficult to muffle the absolute terror which churned a maelstrom in her gut, but she called upon the calm which she had discovered with Luke on Ahch-To to keep it contained. All it would take was a careless slip, a whimper, a shaking breath, and her mission would be over—maybe even her life, too.

The corner of his view slat began to turn in her direction. She stood out like a sore thumb against the slate durasteel wall and her nails buried into her palms. _'Oh stars, please.'_ She prayed desperately and just when it seemed too late, salvation came in the form of a tentative, trembling voice.

"Sir?" Ren paused. The voice continued but she stopped listening. If he only looked a fraction to the left—

Suddenly he whirled around in a sweeping blur of black robes and was gone. Quick clattering boots chased after him, presumably the blessed man who had distracted him, but Rey still couldn't breathe. It had happened so fast, her mind took a moment to catch up, but when it did she felt incredibly lightheaded. She sagged against the metal and ignored the way it dug into her back. That was far too close.

She contemplated aborting the mission and jettisoning off of this awful floating dungeon, but the situation wasn't that dire... at least, not yet. A spark of pride flickered in her chest at the realisation that she had successfully cloaked herself from _Kylo Ren_. This was salvageable. If she went back now, someone else would take her place. And besides, she was being transferred down to Crait soon. She doubted he would have any business visiting there.

It felt like hours later when she finally pried herself from the wall cleft and straightened out tight muscles. Her bundle of things were crumpled but still in good order, luckily. The last thing Rey wanted to do was deliver a crushed datapad back to that awful woman at the supply desk and try to explain how it happened. No one seemed to question why she'd hid away there, which she greatly appreciated as she continued down the hall, shuddering as she walked where Ren's ghoulish presence had left its mark, and made her way into the barracks.

Her quarters were shared by another young technician named Jem who mostly kept to herself. She was very reserved and the two scarcely spoke. They only occasionally talked, and when they did it was always about sharing advice on malfunctioning machines.

She slid the key chip dangling from her neck into the security port and was relieved to find that Jem was still on duty, leaving her to change clothes in peace.

Nothing was quite as awkward as suffering the incredibly graceless girl's gaze while trying to undress. She would just stare until Rey acknowledged her by staring back, then her face would go red like the room had somehow gotten hotter. Rey couldn't figure out what the tech's issue was, and she didn't pay enough attention to social life on the _Finalizer_ to find out.

When she was done, she collected her messily folded things and set off back to the station to return them. This time there was no sign of Kylo Ren and she could afford to relax a little.

Upon greeting the crabby desk lady and setting her things on the counter, Rey became aware of an oddly familiar presence nearby, but she couldn't quite place who it was. The desk worker took her security chip back and informed her she would get a custom one on Crait for her new bunk.

"Oh, tech?" The woman rasped coldly when she turned to look about the station in search of that strange presence again, her attention effectively reeled back. "New orders from Plet. You're picking up a greenhorn." She grinned snidely at her and Rey swore this was the highlight of the supply worker's day. "Think of him as an assistant, if you like ."

"An _assistant_?" She echoed and her face screwed. "Why? If I may ask."

"What with you being Plet's golden girl, he figures you can teach the new guy a thing or two." Ah. So that was why Rey copped dislike from her. The woman leaned over the counter and her eyes just about sparkled in delight then. "Thank you for your stay on the _Finalizer_."

She had a nearly overwhelming urge to bite back, but alas, she knew better. Instead she dipped her head politely and smiled up at the frustrating woman. "It's been a pleasure, truly." She trained her voice to be genuine despite the revolt bubbling like hot mud in her belly. She would be glad to never deal with this person again.

—

The shuttle that ferried her from the battlecruiser to Crait was actually an assault lander, but considering so many maintenance personnel were being shipped on-world, it would be a waste of fuel to use anything else. It was relatively spacious in the cargo hold, or trooper bay she supposed, and safely transported at least twenty workers down at a time. She didn't recognise anyone in this batch, but Rey wasn't interested in making any close friendships on this mission. It'd just make leaving harder. Along with the technicians and engineers were a handful of troopers escorting them, though Rey didn't feel much comfort from their companionship.

When they entered into the atmosphere, the carrier shuddered and she had to grip a handle to steady herself. There was a guttural growl from the engines and then it evened out, though the ceiling lamps still flickered for some time after, casting everyone in eerie strobe lighting.

From what Rey had read about Crait, it was a mineral planet and was mined for such. It had a history with the rebel alliance but that was many years ago during the imperial era. What the First Order wanted with Crait, Rey couldn't decide.

The ship lurched then and she struggled to right herself. The other passengers were having a similarly hard time, a few even stumbled and fell—it was a bit of a mess. How stormtroopers put up with this so often was beyond her. Surprisingly, the landing gear all but kissed the ground, it was so gentle. The carrier must have some sort of repulsor array built in otherwise this thing would have sent everybody on board into a face plant, she thought.

The disembarking ramp hissed on long cylinder hinges and snatched her attention. Rey watched with burning fascination as it smoothly fell open and clouds of stabilising gas columned out in short spouts. Grit clattered the ground and she immediately noticed how white the surface of this planet was. It seemed to glisten with sun light, as though it were made of diamonds and precious gems. Perhaps it was. When she and her shipment of technicians touched ground for the first time, everyone gaped. Beneath the white crust was beautiful red sand. It was so striking, Rey crouched down and dragged a finger through it, parting a red line like a blood stain.

"Beautiful." She breathed, so loosely that she was unsure whether she had spoken internally or out loud. It was a little uncharacteristic of the First Order to make such observations, and by the way one of the escort troopers nudged her, she assumed the latter.

"Move along." It sounded masculine—though it was hard to tell through the disembodied voice—and was thankfully light, bordering on amused.

"Sorry, sir." Rey murmured innocently but nearly lost her facade when the trooper straightened proudly. Obviously he was not used to being called ' _sir_.' Inwardly she scoffed.

The trek to the base entrance was slow and almost scenic; Rey took in every detail; the red footprints left in the mineral layer, the tall canyons off on the horizon and climbing around in the distance, the salty tang in the air, the stark blue sky. They were progressing toward a steep high ledge that had a dark grey splodge dancing in heat waves at the foot of it. Rey guessed that must be the entrance.

It was a welcome change from the humidity of D'Qar and the chilling sea air of Ahch-To; the climate reminded her of Jakku only in that it was very dry and hot, but Jakku lacked that absolute moisture-draining salt quality that made everything so impossibly inhospitable here. Rey feared her mouth and eyes would lose even their wetness. She wasn't sure how long anything could survive here, let alone a military force like the First Order.

All too soon, yet simultaneously at long last, they stood before hulking doors, all glistening with profuse sweat and red-cheeked. Though their escorts looked stoic and unfazed, Rey could tell, even from beneath that white heat-repelling armour, they were feeling the baking sun too.

The entrance was layered; the thick outer gates looked like blast doors but were already open, the only evidence of them being two odd looking grooves in the frame, but Rey easily recognised them; the next were heavy durasteel and sealed tight. Salt was caked into every crevice and scratch. These were obviously used more day-to-day; the blast doors would be a security measure should the base be attacked, they were otherwise unnecessary and too cumbersome, she noted. But what struck Rey most was the way the base was subterranean—perhaps almost entirely. Not too unlike the last base that the First Order had built like a parasite into some long forgotten, overlooked planet. The idea that there were possible plans to turn Crait into something like the prior battle station was bone chilling and made Rey shiver despite the blistering heat doing murder to her skin.

There was a small camera that sat centred on the outer frame and trained on them as soon as they breached a certain proximity. Their escort of troopers made sure to clear access with a code sequence, but she had been too distracted to pick up every detail. All she was left with were fragmented numbers and abbreviations, mixed in with the trooper's identification numbers. Useless.

The doors creaked and then broke into a long whine tempered with gritty crunching as the metal slid out and a room bustling with activity opened up to them. No one payed them any attention when the small party shuffled in and ogled their new surroundings. Even half under construction, the architecture was strangely appealing and most of the floors were already glossy black and spotless, and seemed out of place against all the clattering boots and distant sounds of machinery drilling crude matter and rock.

A brisk set of very particular sounding feet pulled at Rey's attention then and she turned curiously to see a tall immaculate woman with very short black hair and brown eyes approach. She held herself in such a condescending way that this could be no other than their new supervisor.

"Ah. You must be one of Plet Su's shipments?" Her voice was clipped and astute. The way she took her leisure studying each and every one of the maintenance team was relatively creepy but she didn't let it affect her. The serpentine woman's stare left an impression on her skin like a phantom itch. Whoever she was, Rey knew she was not kind like Plet. "You will call me Coryn." She stared suddenly and the workers gave their approving acknowledgments.

After another satisfactory look over, the woman decided all was well with her new team and nodded, gestured her hand silently to encourage the group to follow, then set off quickly through the crowd. Rey had to jog occasionally just to keep up. She tried to map out as much as she could about this new base, but it was so provisional and inconstant, even the framework was open to fluctuations it seemed. There were so many intersecting halls and passageways, it was impossible to keep track of them all without getting a splitting headache. Her mind felt heavy with clouds already and she decided to focus on not losing Coryn instead.

The maintenance depot on-world was larger and had more desks. Coryn briefed them on which counters servered what, from domestic supply to industrial. There was far more space for organisation down here and despite being undercover, Rey was secretly glad. It would make her fake First Order life much easier.

"Collect your new key chips and I'll show you to the dorms." Coryn announced, then hesitated. "Ah. But you will be paired up. There is another carrier expected soon, you will all get partners from there."

Rey wondered if her partner would be the same one the _Finalizer_ desk worker had mentioned earlier. Either way, it was a complication she could do without. Perhaps it was possible to get on the new supervisor's good side—if she even had one—and convince her that a partner would be superfluous.

When she was given her security key chip, she threw the strap over her head and nestled the little license into a fold of her light grey clothing. She went about fixing her hair tie then, when suddenly she tasted that strange presence in the depot from onboard the battlecruiser again. At first it was like subtle ripples but then all at once crashing surf, and the second group of operatives Coryn had spoke of entered along with it. Rey's curiosity got the better of her and she stretched her senses out to gently brush through the minds of the tired looking workers. All had blue-purple shadows beneath their eyes and looked somewhat disheveled. But one in particular looked _atrocious_.

His hair was unnaturally blonde and mussed and he had big goofy glasses sat on the bridge of an angular nose. Unlike the rest of his companions, he wore an orange vest and looked so out of place yet somehow no one disputed it. He too looked exhausted but something was simmering just beneath his skin, something so awake and observant. She was intrigued, but it had been a mistake to touch _that_ mind...

Air refused to find her lungs and fear splintered like ice shards in her veins when his eyes snapped to hers, not more than a hearts beat after she caressed his awareness. Those eyes almost looked comical within the ridiculous lenses he wore; the stare of a murder watching her from behind one of the worst disguises she had ever seen, but Rey couldn't find the humour to laugh at it, what with pure terror breathing on her neck. This was not a technician. This was _Kylo Ren_.

"Alright, get your key chips." Coryn's crisp voice broke the staring contest between them and to her surprise, he obeyed instead of launching across the depot and cutting her down with a flash of red. Rey couldn't stop watching him, couldn't believe her eyes. He approached the supply counter and began conversing casually with the staff there. What was he doing?!

She still hadn't breathed deeper than a shallow sniff and sweat was beading on her brow. She didn't even notice someone approaching her.

"Mechanic?"

Rey started and all at once she gasped. Her head felt light and she held her hand to her chest as her heart hammered beneath it. It was Coryn, scrutinising her like a snake watches a little bird, waiting to strike.

"Sorry, ma'am." She bowed her head humbly but didn't miss the fleeting twitch of borderline fondness on her face. Perhaps she could be befriended afterall. Coryn tipped her head up but continued to study Rey, only now with loosened cat-like eyes. The corners of the woman's mouth fluttered and then in a blink she had turned wordlessly, swiping a datapad from one of her many pockets, and moved to the centre of the room.

"Attention workers." She cleared her throat and called, "You will be paired up for higher workplace efficiency. Your partner will share a dorm with you, as well as maintenance duties. Assignments will be a joint task to be completed by both individuals—unless expressly ordered otherwise." The room stood at attention, even Kylo Ren was complacent enough to stop and listen, but Rey couldn't help herself from stealing cautious stares at him every now and again. He seemed completely unfazed by her watching him and for a moment she questioned whether he'd recognised her at all.

Apparently the thought had been broadcasted and not gone unnoticed though, for his dark eyes lashed to hers and bore across the room with such intensity that her skin was capering goose flesh. Rey didn't like making connections with him like that and turned back to Coryn like the woman was air and he was the crushing void of outer space. Her breath shook with relief, though she could still feel some essence of him, traces left scattered on the edges of her mind. That deeply unsettled her and she struggled to concentrate on anything else. If Coryn was speaking, she completely missed it.

"...and _Kira_ is with _Matt_." Her name—or clandestine one anyway—piqued her attention and she tuned in just in time to hear the end of the supervisor's speech. Who was _Matt_?

She hazarded a glance over at Ren but he was busy searching the crowd for a name tag, just as she should have been. The pool of unpaired people was growing smaller and smaller by the second and Rey had a sinking feeling then that Kylo Ren's cover name could in fact be this Matt person. They both seemed to come to the realisation at the same time and stared across the depot at each other, a silent war waging between them that no one else was even aware of. The partners were all walking up to meet Coryn and these two just stood there. If they kept this stalemate up for much longer, they would attract unnecessary attention.

He was the one to move first. All it took were a few long strides and suddenly he was right there, too close, too real. It made her stumble away and her fists instinctively rose up in front of her chest. Her knees bent in the form of a battle stance or, more accurately, brawl stance. Her eyes were wild and slightly reddened in the whites as she fought to stay composed, her lungs spasming as though suddenly unable to measure a steady breath with this creature in her space.

"What are you doing?!" She growled through clenched teeth. A few of the technicians had cast her sidelong glances, so she loosened up but stayed ready to defend herself. He was unpredictable, she had not forgotten his power.

"What?" Ren's face screwed beneath his big silly glasses as if the question had taken him by surprise. His brows were heavy and low and cast shadows over his already gloomy stare.

She gave a generous wave up and down his body with raised eye brows in reply. His breath shot from his nose angrily and his hands balled.

"Well..." that uncomfortably familiar scowl deepened and he seemed to grasp impatiently at words, "well—what are _you_ doing?!"

Rey gaped at him. "What am I—" she shook her head and pinched her nose. This was crazy! When she looked up he was still stood awkwardly seething in front of her and she squinted to read the small metal pin attached to his outrageous vest. "... _Matt_? I don't understand."

He opened his mouth but was interrupted. "Kira, Matt, you can introduce yourselves later." Coryn's prickly voice cut the tension like soap on grease, though Ren still gawked slightly and Rey was frowning. They both allayed themselves before approaching the sizeable group again, the pressure emanating from their odd situation palpable to even the thickest minds in the room. Coryn watched them closely but said nothing more.

Although their tour through to the barracks was relatively mellow, Rey had sprawling anxiety building in her gut, she knew this was just the calm before the storm. Regardless of Ren's laughable theatrics, he was no less the black clad monster she had come to despise; he was still dangerous and the fact that she couldn't figure out his motive for being here deeply disturbed her. They walked side by side and a passing stranger might even say they looked comfortable, but Rey could feel the tautness of his jaw and the rigid way he walked, not to mention his own teetering apprehension that swelled the closer they drew to the barracks. It struck her then that she shouldn't be able to sense such things—especially from someone as guarded against her as him. He dared to glance at her then and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. It seemed rather mutual.

' _Stars_.' Rey's inner voice squeaked, ' _I need help.'_ Panic pulsed through every beat of her hammering heart and a sheen of sweat glistened on her forehead. He kept stealing dark glimpses at her profile and each time left a burning patch of skin that tingled forebodingly. She was painfully aware of her lightsaber's absence on her side and it only heightened her writhing fear which threatened to make her wretch—something she nearly did when Coryn paused and gestured to the uniform rows of slim indented doors, each numbered with a basic digital screen and numeral.

"Jatt and Goza to room 045," Coryn dictated flatly from her datapad, "Ethan and Krug to 049," she looked up and her brown gaze was suddenly more akin to frosty wind biting Rey's face. Her hands grabbed bundles of grey fabric as the woman watched her and she tipped her chin up as bravely as she could manage. "Kira and Matt, room 050."

Rey nodded vacantly and her grip on her suit never wavered as she—followed by ' _Matt_ '—left the small crowd and stood at the threshold of their new dorm. Her fingers trembled on the security chip and she was achingly aware of Ren's intrusive stare on her back again. Impressions and broken strings of thought flittered on the edges of her mind, but she ignored them. It felt like a life time had passed when she finally got the chip to read clearly and grant access. Rey was strangely relieved to have sanctuary from all the other technicians hanging around the main hall but that relief was quickly extinguished when the door hissed closed, sealing her in with her enemy. The pursuing silence all but froze her in place.

"So tell me, scavenger," Ren's voice was low and she spun around to face him at once. Only now did she truly notice the thin scar bisecting his features—the one she had given him. "What brings you to Crait?"

It would be easy to mistake his tone for colloquial but Rey knew better. The air around him was brimming with erratic energy that ricocheted off of the walls and seemed to electrify the moment. She might have found it exhilarating, were he not eyeing her like a waiting predator.

"I think a better question is why are you dressed like you work in a trash compactor?" She tried to put bite into her words but she sounded so small and unsure, even to her own ears.

He seemed to take that hesitation as his cue to stalk closer. For every step he took, Rey gave ground. She wasn't interested in letting him enter her personal space. She felt claustrophobic in the confines of the cramped dorm and soon her back was thudding gracelessly against a durasteel wall. Her eyes went wide and frantic and she prodded her hip for her lightsaber again, mostly out of habit. All her jabbing fingers managed to retrieve were folds of stiff grey fabric though. Ren's face twitched, gaze blackened, and suddenly there was nothing funny about his wig or glasses or vest. He stopped a few feet short of her and continued to stare in silence which, needless to say, unnerved her to her core.

"You're afraid." He suddenly murmured, face becoming calm and slightly stunned, and Rey blinked her own surprise in reciprocation. "You have defeated me in the past and yet you are drowning with fear in my presence."

"I'm not afraid." She choked out but she could hear the lie in it. Being trapped in a small room with an armed Kylo Ren, and distinctly lacking her lightsaber, was a frightening experience that Rey would rather avoid.

His brows furrowed then. "I am not armed." He told her casually, as if she had spoken aloud, and suddenly all of Rey's fear drained to make room for utter outrage at his pompousness.

"Stay out of my head." She growled venomously and pushed off the wall, essentially closing the space between them to a mere few inches, all traces of fear muffled.

"I wasn't in your head, scavenger." Ren muttered back—just about spat the last word—and straightened his shoulders to tower above her stately. "You project your thoughts. _Loudly_." Suddenly his energy shifted into what Rey could only assume was some twisted amusement. "...Something you wouldn't do, had you received the proper training." His voice dripped condescension and made her blood boil beneath her skin. "On that topic—my offer still stands. You do need a teacher."

"Take your offer and go stick it where the stars don't shine." Rey bristled and he scowled like he had a bad taste on his tongue. "You project your thoughts too, anyway. I don't think I have anything to learn from the likes of you."

"I do not." His face was reddening angrily though, "It's our connection that does that... but at least I am aware you're listening."

Rey shrunk back a step. " _What_?" Her eyes shifted around uncertainly and she scrunched up her brows. "What _connection_? What are you talking about?"

A smirk sundered his mouth and it was such an unwelcome sight that she almost shuddered in disgust. "You mean to tell me you haven't felt it?" He quirked a brow and leant his face down closer to hers, making her bend awkwardly. "I really thought you were more perceptive than that."

Rey took another step away but hardened her features, even as he insistently moved in again. "I have felt it." She chewed back.

"Then tell me," his gaze was bottomless like a deep trench, one she struggled not to fall into. He kept his voice low and husky and it sent shivers up and down her spine—which was now pressed to the cold metal wall. "What do I want?"

A girl in a long black robe glanced behind her eyes and she chased after the fleeting image instantly, breath shallow and teeth bared. The girl wielded a double edged lightsaber which spilled out a glowing red blade. Warriors bowed before her and leaders begged for her favour. She looked powerful—deadly—and Rey wondered who she might be. Kylo Ren stood behind her in the shadows beaming satisfaction. Suddenly the girl spun and her head whirled in shock as Rey realised she recognised this supposed dark sider: it was herself.

She clenched her eyes tight and shook her head. "Never!" Her voice held no uncertainty now; it was hard and sharp like the edge of a sword, but Ren didn't shy away from her. A grin parted his face and his nose hovered closer. Rey's breath hitched but she still glared fire at him—he seemed to revel in it.

"We'll see." His soft voice croaked slightly and then he swung away toward the centre of the dorm. "Anyway, I'm sure that Coryn woman expects us to take an assignment, now that we're acquainted with our new quarters." He murmured nonchalantly and Rey looked more confused than ever from where she stood, still bunched up by the wall.

"Why are you doing this?"

Ren's eyes got that predatory gleam again that so unnerved her and she tightened her fists into tense balls.

"Why not?" Was all he responded with, and Rey got the terrifying feeling that this mission was not going to be a few measly weeks anymore.

 

 


End file.
